We’re Moving, Y’all! Adios California
Keeping an eye on our local booming house prices in our sleepy southern California desert town spearheaded us in the right direction…
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Salvation Mountain: Death and Redemption Near the Salton Sea
We visited Salvation Mountain for the first time with my sister, Dawn, when she recently flew in from the East Coast. We recalled watching television host Huell Howser visit there in 1997 and were intrigued. Salvation Mountain had again recently landed itself into the news media. So a mere 26 years later, we decided to…
The Mystery of Creepy Dolls
Sometimes you find some mighty strange things in the desert. Dolls, for instance. Abandoned, ragged, caked with grime. The creepier, all the better…
Daggett, California: The Tiny Town That Changed Perceptions of the Mojave Desert
“There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do.”
—John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Perhaps no dusty desert town from the 19th Century exemplified Steinbeck’s quote better than Daggett, California. Shootouts, saloons, hangings and frontier justice, the old town had it all, and so much more…
The Curious Case of the Cronese Cat
Cronese vs. Coronise Figuring out the origin of the Cronese Cat’s name has just about as many theories as a storybook feline has lives. It was believed the natural wonder is either named for early explorer and author Titus Fey Cronise or William H.V. Cronise. In 1870, both were officers of the Piute Mining Company….
A Fond Farewell to Route 66 Mother Road Museum
Update: Brendan O’Brien –not the Pearl Jam producer– bought the Route 66 Mother Road Museum property from the city and will be reopening Barstow’s Route 66 Mother Road Museum on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the same location. Former museum proprietors, Deb and Ken Hodkin, are enjoying their retirement. Route 66 has lost another gem….
Amboy’s Historic Mural and Monument Reveal
We recently went to a historic mural and monument reveal at Roy’s Motel and Cafe on Route 66 in Amboy in honor of Amboy owner and Juan Pollo creator, Albert Okura, who passed away last year. It had everything an honorable tribute should have, live music, raffles and and delicious food, in this case, complimentary…
Chasing Big Boy No. 4014 Through the Mojave
We were lucky enough to follow along some of Union Pacific steam locomotive Big Boy 4014’s historic journey as it passed through the Mojave Desert from Colton, California to Cheyenne, Wyoming for restoration. Much to the delight of railfans like us, Big Boy’s first scheduled stop was at scenic Mormon Rocks in the Cajon Pass.
Big Boy’s next stop was The Harvey House Railroad Depot in Barstow, originally known as the Casa del Desierto. It was Big Boy’s first visit in 50 years. Would the bittersweet reunion be its last?
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch: Kaleidoscope on Route 66
Visiting Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is an experience for the senses. Not only are you mesmerized by the colorful bottles combined with antiques in creative ways, but there are soul-pleasing sounds to accompany it too.
Elmer told us his most beloved pieces are the ones he found with his Dad during his youth. One of his favorites is a handmade pitch fork Elmer found in 1959 or 1960 in a fallen down homestead near Edwards AFB, now at the top of one of his colorful displays.
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is not just another roadside attraction on Route 66. It has rightfully earned it’s designation as a destination in and of itself. Come see why this quirky slice of Americana and the humble artist who created it attracts people from all over the world…
Lake Dolores Waterpark Still Makes a Splash
There’s nothing quite like an abandoned amusement park. Forlorn, seemingly forgotten and graffiti’d to the hilt, the place still imbues a whimsical peek into better times when it was filled with throngs of sunscreen slathered fun-seeking families and teens…